The town of Femés welcomed its festivities in honor of San Marcial del Rubicón, Patron Saint of the town and of Lanzarote, this Tuesday, June 25, with the story of the young ranchers and master cheesemakers Dalia and Claudia Reyes, third generation of Quesería Rubicón, who with their good work have earned the privilege of proclaiming these outstanding celebrations. They described this fact as "a true honor and a great responsibility" throughout an endearing journey through the memories of their childhood, of the friends who accompanied them, the neighbors of the town and the family, with special attention to their grandparents Pepe Reyes and María Teresa, "an example of work".
They learned the trade from them, although they emphasized in the hermitage, before the complicit gaze of family and friends, that "dedicating oneself to livestock is not just a job, it is a way of life." They know it well, they have learned it from parents and grandparents, they make cheese on the same farm as Pepe, "adapting to new technologies but without losing the essence or respect for the origin. Each cheese carries a piece of history, a piece of Femés," they proudly pointed out.
And that history was what they told us, that of Pepe and that of Femés, along with the warmth and applause of the town's neighbors, members of the Municipal Corporation headed by the mayor, Óscar Noda, and the
Councilor for Festivities, Daniel Medina, the parish priest of Yaiza, Jonathan Almeida, and Jesús Machín, Minister of Culture of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, an area that has collaborated with the festive events of the Patron Saint of Lanzarote.
"We are inside a building that is almost 400 years old," explained the parish priest of Yaiza, Jonathan Almeida, at the beginning of the event, "which for this town has not only been a place of worship and devotion but also the social reference for the people who inhabit it. Femés would not be understood without the devotion to San Marcial and without its church."
Accompanied by the timple chords of Berto and old photographs that were projected on a screen, Claudia and Dalia walked through the memories of livestock life, the games in the square and the teachings of those who forged their identity. Memories that announced the arrival of these Festivities of San Marcial del Rubicón, such as the rehearsals of the playback, or of their teacher Fefa "who had the gift of uniting the town and making us feel like one family" and who taught them the value of simple things. "How beautiful was that childhood without cell phones, without networks, without screens. We played in the street, the square was a living place," they recalled, confessing that today they miss "that cheerful sound of shared games."
There was room for emotion, but also for laughter, especially with the winks to grandfather Pepe and the lyrics of his songs, some of them recited by his children in the last bars of the act, which ended with a classic "Viva San Marcial", the touch of authenticity that Claudia's whistle brought to gather the flock and the warm applause that the entire hermitage gave them standing.
The mayor, Óscar Noda, thanked the Reyes sisters for accepting this role as heralds of the San Marcial del Rubicón 2025 festivities, congratulating their parents also for the values instilled and highlighting their trajectory, as well as the historical importance of Femés, "from the coasts of Papagayo, where the excavations of the Rubicón are being carried out that are giving so many fruits, to up here in Femés, where the history of the Canary Islands has been forged."
For his part, the Councilor for Festivities, Daniel Medina, recalled that San Marcial is not only the Patron Saint of this town but also of Lanzarote "and a spiritual and cultural symbol of our island. We are in Femés, a town full of history, faith and tradition, where the winds of the Rubicón blow strongly and the roots of our identity cling with pride." Medina also thanked the festival committee for their involvement and encouraged them to "intensely experience these 14 days of programming designed for all audiences. These are days to celebrate together what we are: tradition, joy and neighborhood."
